Being unemployed is hard work.

The interview went well, but this post is mostly about MJ

First things first, I’ll tell you that Thursday’s interview went well. Nothing concrete came out of it as of yet, but I’m hoping to hear something Monday or Tuesday. The job has something to do with coordinating medical conferences and creating content for the marketing materials associated with them. Could I do it? Hells-to-the-Yeah, I could do it. I’m not sure how many candidates they’re interviewing, but I’m hoping none of them are as awesome, articulate and devastatingly handsome as I. If they offer me the job, I’m taking it. Okay, at this point, if Burger King offers me a job, I’m taking it.

The following has to do with Michael Jackson. Feel free to stop reading now if you’ve had enough MJ-talk.

Okay, so Michael Jackson died. Pretty big news, eh? I feel like part of my childhood died, too. The first memory I have of music is rolling around on the floor with cassette player listening to Thriller. I remember telling my great grandmother to “Beat It” when she came to the door for a visit (because I gave her such a hard time and I was a hilariously devilish child. I probably kicked her Alzheimer’s into high gear). Anyway, I kept being a fan of MJ all throughout my grade school and even high-school years – when it soooo wasn’t cool to be an MJ fan. But I made people laugh with my imitations and my dance routines. I even entered a MTV contest where I shot a video of me dancing in the hopes of winning a trip to Neverland Ranch. My mom still has the tape. We bust it out every couple of years so my siblings and wife can make fun of me. Good times. Looking back, I’m glad I didn’t win because of the whole Jesus Juice debacle, but still – saying I was a big fan is an understatement. In 1991, I bought MJ’s Dangerous and Pearl Jam’s Ten at the same time. The direction I went musically was toward Pearl Jam, but I always respected what MJ could do on stage and what he did musically as a child and with Off the Wall and Thriller. Off the Wall is an amazing album – totally underrated in my opinion. But I digress…

To this day, I still rock out to the Jackson 5 or the old MJ albums every once in a while because, put simply, it’s just good music that brings a smile to my face. Hell, we were even introduced at our wedding reception to “Wanna Be Startin’ Something” and later on in the evening I moonwalked to “Billie Jean”. His music has been with me my entire life, and the influence those songs – those beats – those sometimes silly lyrics – had on me is enormous.

So, he was an odd fellow. No doubt about it. He destroyed himself, image-wise. I saw the Martin Brashear interview where Michael declared that he didn’t see anything wrong with sharing his bed with other people’s children. I’m sorry, what? Obviously, something was mentally wrong with this dude. On so many levels. I mean, really, really wrong. Really. But still, the music and how he performed it is phenomenal. You can’t deny that. I spent the past couple of days shuffling through my MJ collection and dancing around the house like a fool, just celebrating the music of my youth. That’s all.

This is Day 73, folks. Hoping to hear back from the folks who interviewed me the other day. I get the sense that the economy is starting to build itself up again. I hope so.

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8 Responses

You didn’t interview w/Matt van Wie, did you? Cause that would be too bizarre.

Anyhow, this is the first I’ve heard about the interview, so I wanted to say congrats and good luck. =)

As far as MJ goes, yeah. Thriller as a kid, dancing to One More Chance in an elevator in Vegas (and somehow, getting an elevator full of strangers to dance to it, too, cause it’s just that good), Thriller in college (Halloween production by kids who loved it as much as we do), etc. etc. etc.

Much like the girl with the curl, “When he was good, he was very, very good.”

No, the interview wasn’t with him. I just did a search for his name – looks like the same sort of business, though.

I also wanted to tell you thanks for introducing me to your friend Tessa. I sent her an email last week and she got back to me quickly. Hopefully she can get my credz into the hands of some important Atlantans.

Good to hear the interview went well. I’m mostly responding due to the coincidence of buying Dangerous & Ten at the same time, as I did also. I think there may have been a Kris Kross or Boyz II Men album in there too… yikes! Anyway, I concur about the piece of childhood dying with the King of Pop, but at least people are remembering the greatness along with the subsequent sideshow. See ya around, man! Another SMC coming soon, I hear…

i agree – off the wall is still my fave MJ album. and yes, i had it on vinyl. he was a big part of my childhood. i second TCG’s happiness that your fan feelings were not tempered by pedophilia at neverland ranch.

Hi. My name is Brittay Yarbrough and I went to school with Jessica. She is one of the sweetest people I have EVER met. I read every entry of your blog yesterday and am addicted. I checked it this morning for an update. I think you are VERY talented and look forward to reading more.